Uzbekistan has launched a major project to artificially increase precipitation and achieve total digitalization of its water infrastructure. According to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s decree on the 2026 State Program, the republic is shifting toward the aggressive implementation of water-saving technologies, Gazeta.uz reports.
Starting March 1, development will begin on a pilot project for artificial rain induction, utilizing advanced expertise from China, France, and Saudi Arabia.
- Expected Impact: Precipitation levels are projected to increase by 10–20% above natural levels.
- Project Leads: The State Committee for Ecology, the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, and the Tashkent Regional Administration.
- Background: Similar experiments were previously conducted in 2025 in the Navoi region in collaboration with Kazakhstani partners.
A cornerstone of the reform is the abandonment of open drainage networks to eliminate evaporation and filtration losses.
- Three-Year Program: Converting 10,000 km of open drains into closed pipelines.
- Phase One (Launching March 1): Reconstruction of 3,000 km of networks in the Kashkadarya, Surkhandarya, Bukhara, and Khorezm regions.
- Innovation: In Kashkadarya, over 54 km of canals will be replaced with high-pressure fiberglass pipes by the end of the year.
To combat water scarcity, Uzbekistan intends to attract $744 million from international financial institutions by the end of 2026.
| Technology | Implementation Area (thousand hectares) | Expected Water Savings |
| Drip Irrigation | 75.4 | Total goal for all |
| Sprinkler Irrigation | 97.0 | technologies: 5 billion cubic meters |
| Laser Land Leveling | 203.0 | annually |
| Canal Concreting | 1,300 km (length) | + 500 million cubic meters |
Strategic Vision: By 2028, the government aims to cover 80% of all irrigated land with water-saving technologies, ensuring the sustainability of the agricultural sector amidst global climate change.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
February 23, 2026